Fabric and method of making same



Aug. 26, 1930. H, Km NER v 1,773,905

FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 7 Filed March 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MIKE! l N VEN TOR.

Hwy/177w? BY A 14 TTORNEY.

Aug. 26, 1930: H. KIRSNER 1,773,905

FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u y a INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orr ca HARRY FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Application filed March 14, 1928. Serial No. 261,661.

This invention relates to textiles and more particularly to a fabric and method of making same that is suitable for blankets, over-' wherein a gnaterlal hava .coating or the like, ing great warmth without excessive weight or bulk andof a high Water resisting character, is desired.

An object of this invention is toprovide a material suitable for blankets and the like of maximum warmth.

Another object being to provide a material of light weight. i

A further object is to provide a material of minimum bulk.

Another object being to provide a material of a water resisting character.

A further object is to provide 'a material suitable for the purposes specified, and possessingall the above characteristics, having a comparatively smooth outer surface.

Finally the object being to provide such a material at comparatively low cost.

These and other objects will appear in the following specification and be finally pointe out in the appended claims, it being understood that slight changes in form and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Similar numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the.figures of the drawings in which 7 v Fig. 1 is a plane view on an enlarged scale of the improved fabric showing in unbroken lines the warp thread appearing on the inner surface of the fabric and in dotted lines the warp thread appearing on the opposite face of the fabric.

Fig. 2 is a plane view of the fabric;

Fig. 3 is a plane view of the opposite side of the fabric corresponding with Fig. 2 when doubled on line X. I

Fig. 4 is a section taken in line with the Warp threads.

" Fig. 5 is a section taken in line with the weft threads.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing a short portion of a weft or in this lnstance a wool thread,-

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a warp or worsted thread.

interstices sporting public, or under other conditions The present standard commercial blanket depends for its warmth on its surface construction.

The present method of constructing blankets is, after weaving, the fabric is worked, felted or processed, which causes the felting or matting together of the warp and weft threads into a compactcore.

The outer surfaces of the blanket are then napped into a fluffy fibrous condition con-. sisting of interlaced curly fibers raised from the surface of the material.

On the amount of napping or. picking up, of the surface fibers into said fluify COIldltion, the warmth of the blanket lar ely depends, and. it is in the spaces, cham%)ers, or formed in the disturbed flufl'y fi brous surface above described that air is held and forms air spaces that block the passage of air through the blanket and provides its warmth.

It is a well known fact that the present commercialor household blanket is relatively dlight yet very warm, as a result of 'a very highly napped surface and thin core, which while it is at the expense of strengthowing to a relatively thin core and deeply napped fibrous surface, provides the. maximum air chambers-or spaces and therefore the maximum warmth, due to the maximum retardation' to the passage of air and radiation through the blanket.

Blankets such as above described are not suitable for, use for instance by the Army,

where a strong warm yet light blanket of small bulk having a comparatively smooth surface, is desired. 1

A wool thread is a comparatively loose structure, wherein-long and short staple may be used, which is processed in such a way as to cause the fibers to lie crossed and tangled in various directions, no attempt being made to parallel them, the purpose being to attain a loosely felted yarn. A worsted thread is one in which the short staple is combed out, thus leaving. only the longer staple, arranged all in the same direction, which when twisted providesa much stronger threadthan awool thread, having a relatively smooth surface.

i the warp threads,

. other,

-. and lie on o weft threa that, due to the fibers lying parallel to each other, will not have the same felting properties as for instance a wool or other thread having a loosely matted fibrous surface.

The structure of applicants blanket broadly provides for the use of threads of different surface characteristics, for instance a mixture of cotton and wool may be used in either or both the warp and weft threads, or all wool may be used, it being necessary only, in order to bring about the desired result, to use threads having different surface or felting characteristics, the specific form of weave being of little importance, some weaves, however, producing better results than others. For the purposes of disclosure, specific types of threads will be referred to, as used in a specific manner, the arrangement and character of threads being variable to provide the fabric desired.

By reference to the drawings, 1 indicates in this instance worsted threads of long'staple, twisted and having comparatively smooth surfaces which are relatively strong, and give the blanket the desired strength. 6

The weft threads 2 are preferably wool threads, having the usual soft, loose fibrous surface, distinctly different from the surface of the worsted threads.

The threads 1 and 2 are woven together in any preferred manner as for instance as shown, wherein warp threads 1 lie between three consecutive weft threads, then spread posite sides of weft threads, said s being tied in to the fabric and an internal position adjacent ,to each corresponding to that of the above described war threads. It will be noted by reference to ig. 1 of the drawings that adja cent warp threads do not pass over the same weft thread, the weave providing for the tying in of the weft threads, at separated intervals. j

The weave above described in a three layer fabric of cellular construction wherein cavi; ties or air cells 3 are provided. When the fabric is used or subjected to higher than the occup,

. ordinary storage tem erature, the air cells or spaces 3 within the fa ric expand causing the fabric to become thicker, and the air cells to rovide additional insulation and warmth. he normal thickness of the blanket being less than the commercial highly napped blanket.

The processing or working of the fabric in the old method is performed to bring about a comparatively solid felted core produced by the close intermingling of the fibers constituting the adjacent surfaces of the warp and weft threads. The surfaces of the fabric are then gigged or napped to raise the fibers for the purpose of producing the desired warmth, whereas, the improved fabric after weaving, is processed and felted," but this the Warmth and by 1 structure, thus offering resistance to the passage of air to and from the air spaces or cells, within the blanket.

The matted or felted core of the ordinary standard blanket is not only avoided in the improved blanket, but the relative surface differences of the warp and weft'threads are. provided to prevent the formation of a solid core when the improved blanket is processed.

Up to the completion of the processing of the blanket, with the old method, which is expensive and consumes considerable time, the blanket has comparatively no warmth and the element of warmth depends largely on the degree of napping, picking up or flufling of the outer surfaceof the blanket, the latter being expensive, consuming time, is wasteful, and'produces a blanket having an objectionable surface, and impracticable for use if exposed to foreign matter. Blankets forrough usage in the open must have a comparatively smooth surface to prevent the collection of foreign matter.

Under the old method of blanket construction the desired comparatively smooth outer surface has been produced by reducing the napping which, however, diminishes the warmth of the blanket. 'An effort has been made to provide the desired warmth with reduced napping, by increasing the'weight of threads and necessarily bulk, both of which are objectionable, especially so for Army purposes, and further do not provide the desired warmth, since it is the air trapped by the nap produced by gigging that provides reducing the nap the warmth is correspondingly diminished.

The improved blanket requires little or no napping, the dead air spaces or so called air pockets are produced by the fabric construc: tion and are within the blanket itself, whereas, in the old method air s aces were formed in the nap on the outer surface of the blanket.

The present invention further providesa water resisting or semi water proof fabric,

should moisture reach-same tically Isolated wicks along which moisture readily passes and from which it does not readily pass to the adjoining weft threads. \Vith a moisture conveying medium not intimately connected or felted into close contact with the outside wool thread layers, with air chambers or broken air spaces between them, the moisture will not readily pass from the outer layer to the inner layer, and when it does it will follow same more readily and with less resistance than out through the other layer, thus making the fabric at least moisture resisting.

It is further noted that the internal air cells or dead air spaces of the improved blanket are disposed in such a manner as to cause air, in its passagethrough the blanket, to

follow a circuitous route and encounter dead air spaces on its way which are outof line through the blanket, thus adding retardation to the passage of air and increased warmth.

The above (may be illustrated by holding sections of the old and improved blankets, up to the light. In the old form of blanket 'day light may be observed through aligning air passages in the blanket, which are increased in size when the material is stretched. The improved blanket shows little or no light passages which are either unaffected or closed bv stretching the material.

The improved blanket is of three or more layers, consisting of layers of wool threads with films of dead air cells or interstices between, thus providing:

A blanket of maximum warmth, due to the internal dead air spaces, formed by the warp threads, which are of such a surface structure, as to mation of a solid core, when processed.

A blanket of minimum bulk, as a result of dispensing with p actically all napping of the surface of the blanket.

A blanket of maximum moisture resisting qualities, due to the presence of moisture carrying threads whereby same is absorbed or carried off and not permitted to penetrate the blanket.

- A blanket of low cost, resulting from the use of material of low cost, reduction in the amount of gigging or processing and a reduction of or entirely dispensing with the napping of its surface.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A multiple layer fabric. comprising weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties arranged prevent felting, and the forwhen woven together, to provide outer-planes composed of a large percentage of weft threads and an inner plane composed of a largepercentage of warp threads, said warp threads lying in pairs between groups of weft threads of said outer planes then separating and tying in weft threads of said planes, the threads of said pairs crossing and alternately tying in threads of different outer planes, adjoining pairs of warp threads lying between different groups of, and tying in different weft threads of different outer planes, adapted when milled, to provide a fabric having an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surfaces.

2. A multiple layer fabric comprising weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties arranged when woven together, to provide outer planesof weft threads and an inner plane of warp threads said warp threads lying in pairs between groups of weft threads of said outer planes then separating and tying in weft threads of said outer planes, the threads of said pairs crossing and alternately tying in threads of said outer planes, adjoining pairs of .warp threads lying between different groups of and tying in different weft threads, adapted when milled to provide a fabric having an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surfaces.

3. A multiple layer fabric comprising weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties arranged when woven together, to provide outer planes of weft threads and an inner plane of warp threads, pairs of said warp threads lying between groups of weft threads of said outer planes then separating and tying in weft threads of said outer planes, the threads of each pair crossing and alternately tying in threads of said outer planes, adapted when milled to provide a fabric'having an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surfaces.

4. A multiple layer fabric comprising weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties arranged when woven together, to provide outer planes ofweft threads and an inner plane of warp threads, pairs of said warp threads lying be tween groups of weft threads of said outer ,planes and tying in weft threads of said outeach thread of said its er planes at intervals, adapted whdn milled to provide a fabric having-an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surface.

6. A multiple layer fabric comprising Weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties arranged when woven together, to provide outer planes of Weft threads and an inner plane of warp threads, adjoining pairs of said warp threads properties, adapted arranged to lie between groups of weft threads and tie. in weft threads of said outer plane s alternately at separated intervals, and adapted when milled to provide a fabric having an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surfaces. v

7. A multiple layer fabric comprising weft threads of high felting properties and warp threads of low felting properties woven together, groups of said Weft threads passing over pairs of warp threads, said warp threads tying in weft threads of said outer planes at separated intervals, providing outer planes consisting of a large percentage of Weft threads having high felting properties and an inner plane consisting of a large percentage of warp threads having low felting when milled to permit of the threads of each outer plane and prevent felting together of said outer planes, and provide a fabric having an unfelted cellular interior and felted outer surfaces.

HARRY KIRSNER.

free felting together 

